Page 4 of Shapeshifter's Vengeance

"Evelyn," I whisper, my voice shaking. "I need you. Now."

"Where are you?" she asks, immediately alert.

"I... I don't know," I stammer. "I'm in a room with... bodies. Six witches. Luminara Coven. I don't remember anything."

"Oh my God, stay where you are," she says, her voice firm. "Send me your location. Don't move."

The line goes dead, and I drop the phone, my hands still shaking. I look around the room again, my eyes lingering on each lifeless form. These women were influential and respected. And now they’re dead.

What could have happened? Did I do this?

Chapter 2: The Immediate Fallout

EVELYN

The phone rings, jarring me awake. I fumble for it on the nightstand, blinking at the bright screen. Alexei’s name flashes and a cold sense of dread settles in my stomach. He didn’t come home last night, and his phone had been off all night.

“Alexei?” I answer, my voice groggy. I slowly sit up, expecting an explanation of what the hell happened last night. He was just supposed to check out something and return home.

“Evelyn,” he whispers, his voice filled with panic. “I need you. Now.”

“What’s wrong?” I sit up, fully alert. The panic in his voice was strange; if there’s anything I admire most about Alexei, it’s how calm and collected he is even under the worst kind of pressure. This was new.

“I... I don’t know where I am. There are bodies. Six witches. Luminara Coven. I don’t remember anything.” He stuttered, and I felt like a bowl of cold water had just been emptied over my head. This is the most insane thing I have heard in a while.

“Oh my God, stay where you are; send me your current location,” I say firmly, throwing off the covers. “I’m coming. Don’t move.”

I hang up, heart pounding. I quickly dress, grab my keys, and rush out the door. The streets of Harmony Grove are quiet, the town still asleep, unaware of the horror unfolding.

I follow the GPS coordinates Alexei sent, leading me to an old, abandoned house on the outskirts of town. I push open the door, my pulse quickening with each step.

Inside, the air is thick with the metallic scent of blood. I see Alexei standing amidst the carnage, his clothes soaked in red. The bodies of the six elder witches from the Luminara Coven lie motionless around him.

“Alexei!” I call out, rushing to his side.

“Evelyn,” he says, relief flooding his voice.

I glance around, confirming my worst fears. “These are our witches,” I whisper, my throat tightening. “This is bad, Alexei. Really bad.”

“I didn’t do this,” he insists, his eyes wide with fear and confusion. “I don’t remember anything.”

“Try to retrace your steps,” I urge, taking his hands. “Think, Alexei. What happened last night?”

“I... I remember going to the bar to check out a lead,” he says, his brow furrowing. “Then a blackout. And then... nothing. I just woke up here.”

We both sit down in the bloody room, the reality of the situation sinking in. I hold his face in my hands, looking into his eyes.

“I believe you,” I say firmly. “I know you, Alexei. The last thing you would do is kill the very people you’ve sworn to protect.”

“But the others won’t believe me,” he says, his voice breaking. “Not with this evidence.”

“Let me handle that,” I tell him. “We need to figure out who did this and why.”

He nods, trusting me completely. We sit there in silence for a moment, drawing strength from each other.

“I’ll need to inform the coven,” I say finally, my mind racing with the implications. “We have to be careful. This could tear our town apart.”

“I know,” he says, his voice hollow. “I’m sorry, Evelyn.”

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